Long Ez Rebuild 7: Remove brakes, passenger control stick, and borescope engine

Rough weekend cause of a brake issue but everything on the to-do list got done.
My email is [e-mail]

[@chrisstrobel3439]

It’s cool virtually hanging out with you at your place while you work on this 👍 I’ve lived in So.Cal. my whole life and use to hang out at Mojave airport when I was younger including Rutan’s place. Never flown any of his designs but have always thought the Long EZ’s were very very cool. I look forward to more videos and eventually your long cross country’s when it’s all done 😬👍 Thanks for sharing.

[@sikorskywade6328]

It looks like you can put a barbed fitting in it and attach a new piece of line to the end, but be careful with that route as you might crack the line. See if you can pull it out and replace it with a new line. I like your option on replacing both sides

[@JP_Flys]

Unfortunately it can't be pulled out. The brake line is glued and glassed into the landing gear.

[@sikorskywade6328]

​@r6hybridd that sucks but your solution to run aluminum tubing through it is perfect, be careful with the flaring, I think it's supposed to be a 37° flare and pressure test the connection with soap and water after. Overall it looks great.

[@FasterLower]

With carbon you need to ensue that it doesn't come into contact wih Aluminium as you will get galvanic corrossion. IF you do need to mount carbon to Aluminium ensure that you have a thin layer of fiberglass between them. Also, don't forget that carbon is conductive and reflects radio waves. So while you can have antennas sitting behind fiberglass you can't do that with carbon.

[@JP_Flys]

The carbon is only being used for support and will not be in contact with aluminum or in a place where it blocks radio or gps.

[@th55269]

Definitely want to see video if you can work in new lines inside gear legs without cutting. I'm in same boat, my lines are still flexible but they are pushing 40 years old and don't want to trust them.

[@JP_Flys]

I've heard from quite a few people that this is the best fix for it. It's gonna be a bit (moving to Texas) but I'll post video as soon as I can.

[@larrynoe6162]

I would run stainless steel braided lines. You might check with Aircraft Specialties.

[@JP_Flys]

Solid stainless line with stainless braided ends. Need to solid line so I can feed it through the existing line in the landing gear.

[@walterderoover1688]

what you might consider concerning the brake problem before you take your cutter is to blow hot air through the line to make it weak and then pull on it to stretch it. Typically these lines don't attach to the resin and it might come out. If this happens you can maybe source a new line with a slightly thinner diameter( for instance a metric diameter) and try to put this in with a little bit of fiddling and vaseline (if this doesn't chemically affects the plastic). If this doesn't work you can grind a thin groove through the composite materiel (with a multitool or dremel) at the back of the channel. Then with a screwdriver or similar stretch the groove a little bit open to free the line an pull it out. Now you just have to fill the groove when another line is fitted. Another possibility is to dissolve the line with a chemical (methanol, acetone...) dependent on the type of line and one the doesn't affect the composit material. Some deeper knowledge is required for that but you can experiment with scrap peaces. As you know, always start with the least intrusive method.. To fiddle lines into channels a piano wire can be used that fits in the line to make it stiffer. the piano wire must be attached to the line at the front with a silicone stop or something without of course making the line thicker.

[@FasterLower]

If you are removing/pulling out the brake line then I'd suggest that you push a cable (bicycle gear or brake cable) through the pipe as you can then use this to guide the new line into place.

[@JP_Flys]

New line will be running inside the old line. I'm not taking the landing gear apart to run a new line.

[@walterderoover1688]

yes that seems an even better solution@@FasterLower

[@johnbecka725]

Glad I found you. I’m in a similar boat. I am starting flight training next month. Being married with kids, rebuilding a flying aircraft might be a good way to move forward “affordably”. Where did you look to find your Long EZ?

[@JP_Flys]

Odd definition of affordable!!! :) I honestly didn't find my Long Ez... It found me as soon as I got out of the plane after my first flight in a Long Ez... Literally. The seller was waiting for us at the hangar when we got back.

[@G_Money72]

Brake line is not that bad of a repair! Just a tedious one. I have done the R and R on a Defiant.

[@th55269]

Were you able to snake / pull it out without cutting the glass? I've got an older ez I'm rebuilding that I want to replace them.

[@G_Money72]

@@th55269 NO, dremel and glass work.

[@johnabriggs6044]

enjoying your videos but would like the volumn levels for voice and music tobe a closer level match as do not need to change from blaring music to your voice levels

[@JP_Flys]

I've been working on it since I first saw your comment. Hopefully they are better now.